The De Grey Family
The De Grey family is the aristocratic ruling family of Newharbour. It is currently headed by Regent Protector Sigmund de Grey. Background Members Paulio de Grey Regarded as a shrewd and sensible traditionalist in his youth, the then middling and unremarkable noble's choice to move to the West Marches catapulted the De Grey name into the top echelon of society. After arriving in the New World, Paulio de Grey was quick to find favour with the Lords' Alliance. Whilst Newharbour saw steady growth and relative stability under his rule, his uninspiring politics and ever-growing deference to the Alliance served as a disconnect between himself, the nobility and common-folk. Not hated, yet hardly liked, Paulio was would come to be regarded as a weak yet charismatic ruler. His conservative views and lack of governing experience saw Newharbour effectively become an extension of the Old World. Whilst he cared deeply for his family, Paulio would maintain an emotional distance from his children and remained somewhat ignorant to the strain it would cause to their relationships. This ignorance served to be his undoing, and was likely an influencing factor which lead to his death. Marietta de Grey The wife of Paulio and mother of his three children, Marietta de Grey had significant influence with the aristocracy of Newharbour as the matriarch of the family. A devoted wife, she was often entrusted by Paulio to unilaterally make decisions on matters concerning the family's estate. Fiercely protective of her children, Marietta is known to have ruthlessly dealt with those who had sought to undermine her family. She has gained a reputation among the aristocracy for her political finesse in removing opposition within the court. The death of her eldest son, Faevian, greatly impacted the countess. Marietta retreated from the public eye. Two years on, Marietta remains a recluse within her family estate. With her very sanity in question, Marietta's recession from the court has significantly weakened her family's influence among the aristocracy. Faevian de Grey Faevian de Grey was the eldest son of Paulio and Marietta, and had been the apparent heir to the Lordship of Newharbour. A somewhat shy and timid character, Faevian took great interest in his own intellectual pursuits. He saw courtroom intrigue as a pointless exercise, which caused him to become unpopular amongst the nobility. Lacking his parent's political flair in the courtroom, Faevian was presumed to be a weak ruler, and too easily influenced by his Lords' Alliance advisers. His popularity amongst the common-folk was also strained, and he would often be eclipsed by his younger, more charismatic brother. On the 15th day of Greenbloom 1900 DR, Faevian died during a hunting expedition within the Emerald Forest south of Newharbour. Having been beset by a band of goblins, his hunting party successfully drove away the creatures. Faevian, however, fell from his horse when it was spooked from the encounter; and the young Lord succumbed to his injuries a shortly thereafter. Rumours quickly emerged surrounding the circumstances of Faevian de Grey's death, many suggesting that he may have been assassinated. Sigmund de Grey The strikingly charismatic second child in the De Grey family, Sigmund is the current Regent Protector of Newharbour. Often described as a "Man of the People", Sigmund quickly gained popularity with the public due to his vocal support for the independence of Newharbour and the self-determination for its people. Whilst his position has proved unpopular amongst the nobility, Sigmund's aptitude as a political strategist, military tactician, and accomplished duellist serve to make him a polarising figure within the court. Following his father's assassination, Sigmund was appointed as the Regent Protector of Newharbour. Despite Sigmund's popularity, it has been raised that without a law of succession having ever been approved by the Harbourmen Council, an individual outside the De Grey family may also be an eligible candidate for succession. However, with much of the Newharbour aristocracy in tatters following Paulio's assassination, Sigmund's confirmation as Lord Protector is considered likely. Odette de Grey The youngest child of the De Grey family, Odette is the only daughter of Paulio and Marietta. Throughout her childhood, Odette appeared to distance herself from the confines of her noble heritage. Disenfranchised with the responsibilities and limitations of a noblewoman, Odette was rumoured to mingle in the less than savoury circles of society. Much withdrawn from the public eye, it was a well-known rumour amongst the nobility that Odette had many discrete connections to Newharbour's expansive black market. She was a useful, albeit dangerous, ally for many discerning aristocrats. Odette's calleous ambition was revealed on the final day of Winterfell 1902 DR, when she publicly assassinated her father during the festivities for the 50th Anniversary of Newharbour's founding. Intending to usurp her father's position, Odette was aided by a young red dragon and devastated much of the Newharbour nobility. It was only with the assistance of the West Marches Adventuring Company that the dragon was driven back; saving the life of Sigmund de Grey, and thwarting Odette's ultimate objective. Fleeing on the back of the dragon, Odette disappeared from Newharbour, and was last seen journeying west to reconvene with her unknown allies. How, or why, Odette managed to obtain the support from a red dragon was unknown, and it was speculated that she had aligned herself with the Zhentarim; whose growing activity in the region had been confirmed from intelligence gathered by Lord's Alliance agents prior to the attack. Several months following the failed coup in Newharbour. Odette aligned herself with an orc army and laid siege to the city of Dawnhaven. During the assault on the city, it was revealed that Odette had been in fact acting under the control of her dragon ally ever since the assassination of her father. At the close of the battle, and with her defeat assured, Odette was slain by the sorcerer Freddy. A bargain was later struck for the Lords' Alliance to return her body to Newharbour. Despite this agreement, Odette's corpse was temporarily stolen and unceremoniously resurrected by the bard Finbin, so that she may be displayed before the crowds gathered at Dawnhaven's victory parade. Category:Characters Category:NPCs